COPD bottom of the heap!

[ck101]

I phoned my local major hospital today to enquire about wait times for a Pulmo. I got through to the answering service. In their greeting they offered two numbers one to get though to their specialist IPF nurse or the other to call the specialist Alpha One nurse. Anyone else should leave a message.

The COPD gang aren’t in the VIP club so will have to leave a message and are fully at the mercy of a snotty secretary to forward on. No privileged hot line service for us mere mortals.

I find this aspect interesting cause we all experience the same symptoms.

[Hidden]

Mmmmm difficult ck, although your GP and (if you have one) respiratory nurse at your GP surgery can also refer you, perhaps just email GP surgery enquiring could they find out when the next one might be at the hospital, in the community or online + can you put you name down. That's what I would do.

Good luck

[Badbessie]

It is frustrating but I can assure you this is not just happening to those with COPD. My wife as just had an operation. We asked when she should stop her immunosuppressive medications. Ask your specialist was the reply! Which started a 10 day telephone marathon. The line was manned but at different times each day which changed every week. You rang a separate number to get the times the line was open. Of course the line was constantly engaged. Of course you could leave a message which I did but never returned. To cut a long story short in the end I followed the nice guidelines. Next question is when can she start them again?

[grahame151]

My local hospital is sometimes a message service but they always ring back the same day. I guess they need to have a break, a pee or whatever and I don't begrudge them after all they have done in the last 2 years we should all cut them some slack. As for secretaries they are probably the most undervalued staff in the NHS but without whom many consultants would struggle.

[Mavary]

I never had an answer from my Consultants Secretary so I’m not in the club either with a Pulmonary nodule interstitial disease and asthma.